“In a word”

Repetition is the easiest form of organizing. Understanding vertical downstrokes at a 45% pen angle as the basis for letter construction is a practice that continues throughout our study. Now, to really look at any letter in a word, to really see and value what kind of pen strokes, letters are made of, we have to examine what pen strokes are repeating themselves and how they can best serve us – The Writers.

We know the vertical downstroke repeats itself, and if we are really paying attention, we should realize this is the most dominate stroke. This hand is based on a rectangle but what keeps the rectangle activated? The next most common stroke is the branching (activating the rectangle) the diagonal thin stroke from base to waist. The letters u, a, g, q, d and y all share the same branching, that connects their vertical downstrokes. The arches that create the letters n, m, h, b, and p are also branching from base to waist.

As you practice, you might notice your ability to move the pen nib on its corner in order to keep the branching stroke thin. On that note we can look at these less dominate strokes that are just as important. The push and pull strokes, that are the cross bar of the t and the f. The nib here can be flattened, in order to keep the cross bars subtly thinner than the vertical downstrokes. Now, note that this horizontal stroke also occurs at the bottom of descenders and the tops of ascenders. The lower case g is a great example of how these repeated strokes work. Keep in mind, these strokes are not wiggles, just beautifully pushed or pulled strokes.

We can think of these vertical, horizontal, push, pull, branching strokes as the rhythmical changes in ocean waves, blades of grass, tree branches, and even musical notes. Beautiful rhythms that repeat themselves.

So what’s in a word? Your own discovery is in a word. To see, to really see, is your head-start to making beautiful forms. My tasks are the same as yours, practicing a functional rhythm.